Aqueous solutions of soluble heavy metal salts of sulphonated aliphatic compounds



Patented June 21, 1938 UNITED STATES AQUEOUS sow'riouspr SOLUBLE HEAVY METAL SALTS or sunrnom'rnp ALI- PHATIC COMPOUNDS 'Walter H. McAllister and Robert A. Duncan, Wyoming, and Oscar T. Quimby, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignors to The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio No Drawing. Application January 13,1933, Serial No. 651,626

6 Claims.

Our invention relates to aqueous solutions of soluble heavy metal salts of sulphonated aliphatic compounds. Its object is to provide at low cost new products soluble in water, having valuable wetting, sudsing, emulsifying and/or detergent properties, as well as other valuable properties, as described below. i

It should be understood that the term "sulphonated as used herein designates in a general 10 way compounds of the sulphonic acid type, or of the sulphuric acid ester type. in which types the SO3H group, or the -0SO3H group, respectively, is attached to the organic radical. The

organic radicals used in making the products 16 claimed in this specification belong to the; allphatic series, contain at least 8 carbon atoms in the formula, and must contain no free nor combined carboxyl group. Furthermore, in the claims reference toja "natural fatty oil desig- 20 nates any member of the group consisting of natural fats and fatty oils.

It is already known that soluble products having many useful properties, especially strong soap-like properties, are obtained by combining the alkali metals, or ammonia, or ethanolamine,

or certain other organic bases, with the sulphonated compounds ofhigh-molecular-weight aliphatic alcohols or unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons. In some cases the sulphur-containing- 80 group is attached at the hydroxyl group of the alcohol; in others it is attached at the double bond of an unsaturated compound; in others it may be attached at various places in the molecule in place of hydrogen. But regardless of speculative theoretical considerations as to the position and mode of attachment of the sulphurcontaining group, these various compounds comprise a group having certain properties in common, in that they have good wetting, sudsing,

' emulsifying and/or detergent properties. Alkali- ,metal products of this type, usually containing more than eight carbon atoms in the molecule, are now being used for various purposes where their valuable soap-like and other useful properties cah be utilized. I I

On the other hand, as far as we are aware, none of the compounds of the above groups with I heavy metal bases have been previously prepared, 50 possibly for the reason that they would, by anal- ,ogy to soap, be expected to be insoluble and devoid of the ordinary soap-like and other useful properties of the corresponding alkali-metal.

. compounds,-just as the heavy metal soaps are 55 insoluble and devoid of the ordinary soap-like metal, which will give to the properties of the corresponding alkali-metal soaps.

We have found, however, contrary to what might be expected, that the heavy metal salts of this group can inmost cases be readily prepared, that many, as explained below, are soluble in water, and that their solutions possess in general excellent soap-like properties as well as other valuable properties in individual cases. We have discovered that the solubility of the heavy metal salts of the sulphonated alcohols or hydrocarbons is analogous to that of the corresponding metallic sulphates instead of the corresponding metallic soaps. For example, the barium, strontium, calcium, and lead salts of higher aliphatic sulphonated compounds are insoluble, in water, or nearly so, like the barium,

strontium, calcium,'and lead sulphates; while all others, as far as we are aware, are more or,

less soluble. A primary purpose of our invention is the production of water-soluble heavy metal salts oft-sulphonated higher aliphatic alcohols and unsaturated hydrocarbons. It makes available salts of these compounds from heavy metals, which metals in some cases are cheaper than the alkali metals previously used, and which salts in many cases have valuable properties of their own. while at the same time they retain in general the desirable soap-like properties of the alkali metal salts. 'These general properties,

of this class of compounds may therefore be combined with special properties of value to suit individual requirements by selecting for the base a product the distinctive properties desired.

We have discovered also that soluble heavy metal salts possessing valuable foaming, cleansing, wetting and emulsifying properties can be formed with the similarly sulphonated products of other classes of organic compounds in addition to the higher aliphatic alcohols and unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons described herein; for example, soluble heavy metal salts of sulphonated hydroaromatic compounds such as CioHm-SOsM; of fatty acid esters of sulphonated polyhydric aliphatic alcohols such as R.CO.O.C2H4.SO3.M (heavy metal salts of the fatty acid esters of isethionic acid); of fatty acid amides, (whether substitutedor not), derived'from sulphonated aliphatic nitrogen bases such as nconcrncim'som (heavy metal salts of fatty acid amides of methyl taurine); etc., in which illustrations R designates a straight chain aliphatic radical of 8 or more carbon atoms and M designates such heavy metal as is used to give the soluble salt possessing'the desired properties.

Solutions having the desired wetting or soaplike property, etc. together with distinctive colors,

' tions with strong wetting and emulsifying properties, and having strong germicidal or fungicidal properties, may be made by using as bases with these compounds metals having germicidal or fungicidal properties. Silver, mercury, zinc, cadmium, and copper, are especially valuable as bases of germicidal products since they all make soluble salts with these compounds, and since these products have not only the usual properties above mentioned pertaining to this class of compounds, but also strong germicidal properties.

Copper as a base with these compounds gives salts having strong fungicidal properties added to the usual properties of this class of products. Such salts are of especial value, as compared with previously used fungicides, because their water solutions have such extraordinary wetting properties that they readily wet and spread over a large surface and adhere tenaciously' to same,

thus presenting the most favorable conditions for accomplishing the-desired objects of a fungicide.

Zinc when used as a base with these compounds yields salts with astringent properties in addition to the other properties characteristic I of the group.

Some other uses of these soluble heavy metal salts are as a wetting agent in the textile industry, as mordants in dyeing, and in/the tanning of leather.

Salts of this group can readily be prepared by.

neutralizing reactions, such as by adding the sulphonated organic compound to a suspension of the oxide or hydroxide of the metal in water,

with agitation, and with heating if necessary,

thus obtaining a solution of the desired salt. They can also be formed by a double decomposition between solutions of an alkali salt of the sulphonated organic compound and a soluble salt of the desired metal base such as a chloride, sulphate or nitrate, for example. l

We find that when the product is formed by double decomposition as above indicated, it is not usually essential to purify it from the alkali salt formed as by-product unless a high degree of purity and activity is needed. The mixture of the heavy metal salt of the sulphonated organic compound with the by-products formed in the reaction usually shows the remarkable wetting, sudsing, and emulsifying properties, etc. of the pure material to a suflicient extent for ordinary uses. v

It should be understood that in making these products it is not necessary to 'use a sulphonated organic compound by itself, but

a mixture of diflerent ones may be used, and it is particularly advantageous and economical to use for this purpose a mixture of alcohols obtained from a natural fat or fatty oil, such as cocoanut oil, by converting the same to the alcohols and forming the sulphonated compound by means already known. Furthermore, a mixture of different metals may also be used if desired.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. As a new composition adapted for cleansing and wetting of materials, an aqueous solution of a water-soluble heavy metal salt of a compound of the group of sulphonated aliphatic compounds having at least eight carbon atoms in the alkyl radical consisting of a sulphonated aliphatic hy-v drocarbon, a sulphonated aliphatic alcohol, a fatty acid ester of isethionic acid, and a fatty acide amide of methyl taurine, said heavy metal 4. As a wetting, sudsing, and detergent agent,

an aqueous solution of a heavy metal salt of sulphonated higher aliphatic monohydric alcohols derived from coconutpil and corresponding in number-of carbon atoms to fatty acid radi contained therein.

5. As a wetting, sudsing, detergent and germi cidal agent, an aqueous solution of a heavy metal salt 'of sulphonated higher aliphatic monohydric alcohols derived from coconut oil and corre- .sponding in number or carbon atoms to fatty acid radicals contained therein, said heavy metal being selected from the group of heavy metals whose salts have germicidal properties consisting of silver, mercury, zinc, cadmium and copper.-

6. As a wetting, sudslng and detergent agent, an aqueous solution of the copper salt of sulphonated higher aliphatic monohydric alcohols derived from coconut oil and corresponding in number of carbon atoms to fatty acid radicals contained therein.

WALTER H. MOALLIBTER.

ROBERT A. DUNCAN. OSCAR T. QUDIBY. 

